The city is paying a consultant at least $200,000 to make recommendations aimed at improving tax collections and lowering overhead costs, like utility and gasoline bills.

“This is something of a first,” said mayoral spokesman Mark McDonald.

The city will pay FTI Consulting $200,000 in addition to a 3 percent “success fee,” according to McDonald. For instance, if the company saves the city $10 million, it will earn a success fee of $300,000. That fee is capped at $700,000, though, which would require the company tracking down more than $23 million in savings actually implemented by the city.

In a press release, Mayor Nutter said that FTI Consulting will "ensure that Philadelphia's tax dollars will be put to best use."

As of June, property-tax deadbeats owed more than $515 million to the city and school district. Also, as It’s Our Money reported, taxpayers paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for a politically-connected business owner’s utilities. The business leases a city-owned property.

FTI Consulting is scheduled to provide a report to the city by November.

Every year, city government spends slightly more than
$4 billion. Where does all that money come from? More importantly,
where does it go? Are we getting the most bang for our tax buck?
“It's Our Money” is a joint project between
Philadelphia Daily News and WHYY, funded by the William
Penn Foundation, designed to answer these questions.